Water-still



C. D. CRANE.

WATER STILL.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 27. ms.

PatentmlSept. 2, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEETI E -Z PalenledSepL. 2,1919.

3 SHEETS-SHUT 2.

amenoz C. D. CRANE.

WATER STILL. 7 APPLICA ION FILED APR. 27, l9l8.

Patented Sept. 2, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CALVIN D. CRANE, OF DAYTON, OH IO.

WATER-STILL.

. To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CALVIN D. CRANE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in WaterStills, ofv

which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the boiling, condensing,'water feed regulatingand condensation collecting devices of water stills, and has for itsobject to very materially increase the rapidity of operation of thestill and the output thereof, in the form of water of condensation, inproportion to the time and heat expended; thereby greatly increasing theconvenience of use, in respect of time and attention required, andgreatly decreasing the cost of fuel and of the distilled water produced.

. lVith such object in view, as well as other advantages which may beincident to the use of the improvements, the invention consists in theparts and combinations thereof hereinafter set forth and claimed, withthe understanding that the several necessary elements constitutingthesame may be varied in proportions and arrangement without departing fromthe nature and scope of the invention.

In order to make the invention more clearly understood there are shownin the accompanying drawings means for carrying the same into practicalefiect, without limiting the improvements, in their useful apphcations;to the particular constructions which, for the purpose of explanation,have been made the subject of illustration. In the said drawings Figure1 is a vertical sectional view of a waterstill embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line III-III of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on line IVIV of Fig. 1. w

' Fig. 5 is an elevation. of a portion of the water heating chambershowing the regulatably within theupper end of the boiler; O

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application flied April 27, 1818. Serial No. 281,178.

F is the overflow or waste pipe for thecold.

water chamber; G is the feed pipe which supplies the boiler with waterfrom the upper part of the cold water chamber; and H is the overflow orwaste pipe from the boiler. The pipes E, F, and H are shown as shortconnections, and it will be understood that ordinarily flexible hosewill be or may be connected with these pipes for conducting the water.The said parts A, B and C are shown as separable cylindrical sectionsfitting one above and into the other so that the still may be readilytaken apart for cleaning or other purposes, but the invention is notconfined to such shape or sectional construction.

The cold water which is conducted to the still by the pipe E passesthrough two branches 1 and 2 of said pipe controlled respectively by,cocks 3 and 4, and delivering the water into funnels 5 and 6. Thesefunnels are on the top ends of pipes 7 and 8 which conduct the water tothe bottoms of outer and inner cold water channels 9 and 10. Thesechambers are formed by an outer shell 11, a bottom 12 and conicalpartitions 1'3, 14 and 15 which are or may be substantially concentricone within another and which are united at their lower edges with theedges of openings through the bottom 12 and are united at their topedges with each other, so as to form said cold water chambers 9 and 10and inclosed condensing chambers 16 .and 17. The chamber 17 terminatesin a pipe 18 having small escape openings 19 to prevent accumulation ofsteam pressure within the still.

The water recovery device or section B may be of sheet metal or (asshown) as a casting of aluminum or other suitable xn etal, comprising abottom flange 20 which fits into the top of the boiler section A, a topflange 21 into which fits the bottom of the shell 11 and inner u wardlyextendin flanges 22, 23 and 24 w ich form channe s 25 and 26 arrangedunder the bottom edges of the condensing artitions 13, 14 and 15 tocatch the water which condenses on and runs down therefrom. Said flanges22, 23 and 24 also form openings 27 and 28 which are the passages forsteam from the boiler A into the condenser D. Radially arranged flanges.

29 form a. channel 30 which connects the cooler than. the ascendingsteam to cause condensation of the latter on the under surface of suchsection, and this would be a material loss of generated steam all ofwhich is desired to pass up through the openings 27, 28 to the condenserD, and I prevent such loss by attaching sheet metal to the under side ofthe sect on B so as to form dead air chambers 32, 33. Such inclosed airwill prevent the cooling of said sheet metal and the latter will be keptso hot by the steam that there will be no condensation thereon,

The water heating chamber or boiler section A comprises a cylindricalshell 34 to which is tightly joined a bottom 35. Within the upper end ofthe shell 34 is attached a flange 36 which will form a water seal aroundthe flange 20 and prevent the escape ofsteam and the ingress of air tothe still. The-bottom is provided with apertures 37 in which are tightlyfitted flues 38 which are closed at their tops and extend up into thebody of water in'the boiler to bring the products of combustion and theheat of any fire or flame (not shown) over which the still may be set asnear as ossible to all interior parts of the body 0 water which is to bevaporized. The swaged vjoints at the bases of said flues may be dippedin solder to make them perfectly tight.

The feed water for the boiler is taken from near the top of the coldwater chamber into the pipe G and delivered thereby into the boiler. Thepipe G is made in two separable sections 39 and 40 the upper of whichcan be readily inserted into the lower section when the parts of thestill are assembled for use. The u per section 39 is secured at itsupper end in a pipe fittin and valve casing 41 which is connected withthe shell 11 so as to conduct water therefrom. The lower section 40 isremovably supported at its upper end by a bracket 42 into which said endis inserted when the sections A and B are put together, and at its lowerend it isbent to pass inward through an opening in the bottom. flange 43of the boiler. Thence said pipe is bent upward and formed into one ormore coils 44 extending around the boiler horizontally within the flange43 and under the bottom 35, so as to be exposed to a high degree ofheat, with the result that the feed water is prevented fromobjectionably lowering the temperature of the boiler water. Thence thefeed pipe passes up through the bottom 35 by a tight joint and is formedinto one or more coils 45 passing around inside of the boiler and formedwith numerous small quarter-inch apertures 46 through which the feedwater enters the boiler at widely distributed points and cannotmaterially reduce the temperature of the boiler water at any one point.Preferably the apertures 46 are arranged opposite the flues or tubes 38and deliver the feed water below the surface of the boiler water and atplaces of greater heat. Thus the boiler water is kept at the greatestheat and any impeding of its vaporization is prevented.

The feed of the water through the pipe G and said coils thereof isregulated by the level of the boiler water by a valve 47 in the casing41 which valve is connected with a float 48 in a chamber or casing 49,the latter being connected by a water passage 50 with the boiler at apoint below the lowest water level. Said float varies in height with thewater level in the boiler and opens and closes the valve 47 by means ofa stem 51 and a lever 52. The stem 51 may be graduated or otherwisemarked near the top of the chamber 49 so as to show to the eye theheight of water in the boiler. The stem 51 is adjustably connected withthe lever 52 so as to set the float for any water level which it isdesired to maintain. This adjustable connection may be by means ofrubber-or leather disks 53 fitted tightly but slidably on the stemabove'and below the bifurcated end 54 of the lever. Or it may be bymeans of a series of holes 55 in the stem and pins (not shown) insertedin said holes so as to engage the lever a'rm. In connection with suchadjustable water feed the level in the boiler is initially kept fromgoing above a maggimum level by a series of waste or water exit openings56 formed in a trap 57 attached t5 the shell 34, I have illustrated fourof said openings at different levels about onehalf inch apart, eachopening being closable by its valve 58 which is operable by a handle 59on the outside of the boiler. Onl one opening is used at a time. At theower part of said'trap is constructed the said waste pipe H of theboiler, andbetween said pipe and the upper part of the trap is arrangeda flange or wall60 which extends down below the pipe H so as to maintaina water seai to prevent the escape of steam and the ingress of air. Ifit is desired to.

evaporate the boiler water rapidly, or if the source of heat is not verystrong, the lowermost valve 58 is opened and the level of water isreduced to near the tops of the flues 38, so that the heat will begreater relative to the amount of water. If it is desired to vaporizemore slowly or if the fire is relatively strong the uppermost valve isopened (all others being closed) and a higher level and more water isprovided for; and under intermediate conditions one of the intermediateopenings 56 may be similarly used.

Whenever the boiler water level is thus changed the stem 51 iscorrespondingly ad of water, and the valve 47 will not allow the I waterto fall below such maximum. It will be understood that the invention isnot confined to regulating the valve 47 by the described automaticconnection, and this operation may be performed b hand without the aidof the float 48. ater distilled slowly has a certain superiority forchemical and medical uses on account of its "great purity, but fordomestic or mechanical uses rapidly distilled water is of greaterquantity (in a given time) and is not objectionable in quality. By theabove described apparatus the still may be readily adjusted for thedesired rate of distillation, according to the use to which the water,is to be put, the condition of the fire or the attention which can begiven to the operation of the still. The still is constructed to bereadily taken apart and to be reassembled, as already,described inrespect of the three main sections and the pipe G. The pipes 7 and 8 arenot attached to the cold water section but are put in place therein, asillustrated, when the still is to be used, and the upper ends of thefunnels 5 and 6- are held in yokes 61 screwed on to the ends of thebranch pipes 1 and 2. The pipe E can be attached to the outer rim of thesection C (Fig. 1) by a clamp, 62. The still will be set up with thepipes F and H directed toward the most convenient drain for waste waterand the pipe 1 will then be adjusted and secured upon the section C onthat side of the still which is toward the cold water supply. This is amaterial advantage in saving undue lengths of or bends in the flexiblehose which will ordinarily be employed.

63 is a siphon adapted to be used to with draw water from the chamber 10into the chamber 9, its two branches extending to the bottoms of saidchambers. After the siphon is put in place in the position illustratedthe valve 64 at its upper end ma be opened to permit the escape of air.hen the valve is closed and thereafter, when the level of the water inthe chamber 9 is lower than that in the chamber 10 the water will flowto the outer chamber. The air is let out I of said siphon when the waterlevel in the section G is above the top of the siphon.

65 is a valve (shown as closed, in Fig. 1) suitably arranged in a shortpipe 66 which connects the pipe 40 with the coil 45 and 67 is a valve(shown as open) which is arranged at a convenient point so that it canbe closed to cut off the pipe 40 from the coil 44. If the heat should betoo intense the valve 67 can be closed and the valve 65 opened to admitthe boiler feed water direct to the coil 45 without passing through themore intensely heated coil 44.

\Vhat I claim is:

1. In a still, in combination, a water heating chamber, valve-controlledexits therefrom at different water levels, a-float which is maintainedat the water level of said heating chamber, a cold water chamber and acondensing chamber inclosed by said cold water chamber, a feed pipeleading from said cold water chamber, a valve automatically controllingsaid'feed pipe, and a connection between said valve and float which isadjustable according to which of said exits from the heating chamber isopened.

2. In a still, in combination, a water heating chamber, condensingchambers above and communicating therewith, cold water chamberssurrounding said condensing chambers, means for'supplying water to saidcold water chambers, a feed pipe leading from the upper part of saidcold water chambers, a valve controlling said feed pipe, a valve stemand lever for operating said valve, a rod having an adjustableconnection with said lever, a float at the water level of said heatingchamber and attached to said rod, afloat casing inclosing said valve andcommunicating with said heating chamber so as to have the same waterlevel, heating flues extending into said heating chamber, andvalve-controlled water exist openings at different water levels abovesaid flues.

3. In a still. the combination of a water heating chamber, a condensingchamber, a Water-recovery device, a cold water chamber, a feed pipeleading from the cold water chamber and arranged to be exposed to directheat at points under the heating cham ber and thence extending into andaround Within the heating chamber and having distributed openings inthat part of the pipe which is within the heating chamber for thedelivery of water into the heating chamber, and means for cutting offthe directly heated part of said pipe from the part thereof which iswithin. the heating chamber.

4. In a still for the recovery of con- &

- said inner and outer cold water chambers,

and a boiler feed pipe leading from the upper part of said cold waterchambers."

7. In a still, in combination with inner and outer cold water chambersthereof, cold water feed pipes extending to the lower parts of saidchambers and provided with funnel-shaped upper ends, a water-supplypipehaving branches arranged to deliver water into said funnels, valvescontrolling said branches, inner and outer Va or chamhere at the undersides'of'said inner and outer cold water chambers, and a boiler feedpipe leading from the top part of said cold water chambers.

8. In a still, in combination with inner and outer cold water chambersthereof, feed pipes extending to the lowerparts' of said chambers, awater supply pipe having branches extendin to said feed pipes, valvescontrolling said ranches, yokes inclosing the upper ends of said feedpipes, an inner vapor chamber extending up within the inner cold waterchamber, and an outer vapor chamber extending up water chambers. a

9. Ina still the combination of an outer cold water chamber, an innercold water between said cold chamber, a condensing chamber between saidouter and inner coldvwater chambers, a siphoniconnectingthe bottom partof said inner chamber with the bottom art of said outer chamber, and avalve at the top part a: said siphon above said condensing cham- 10. Awater still having, in combination: a condensing section having innerand outer cold water chambers, an inner vapor chamber extending upwithin the inner cold water chamber, an outer vapor chamber extending upbetween the inner and outer cold water chambers, cold water supply pipesdelivering at the bottoms of said inner and outer cold water chambers, acold water distributing pipe leading from the bottom of'the inner coldwater chamber to the bottom ofthe outer cold water chamber,

a separable collecting section supporting the said condensing sectionand having means arranged at the bottom edges of the vapor chambers forreceiving the water of condensation, a separable boiler sectionsupporting said collecting, section, and a pipe leading from the top ofthe condensing section to the lower part of the boiler section.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CALVIN D. CRANE.

